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Mustard methods

Making your own mustard can mean different things: from blending some tinned mustard powder with water to, at the other extreme, growing your own mustard plants, harvesting the seeds, grinding them and picking up from there.

Of course there are delicious pre-made mustards available off the shelf, but as a mustard lover I’ve dabbled a few times with making my own, using a middle ground method: buying mustard seeds from the supermarket and, well, proceeding as below.

But first, lessons learned:

The supermarket own brand mustard seeds are exactly the same as the leading spice jar brand, and much cheaper.

Cheaper still are large 500g bags of seed, available from eastern food shops and on-line.

There are three types of mustard seed: black, brown and yellow. Black makes the most pungent, brown is medium, yellow is milder. Look closely at the supermarket label – it’ll say somewhere.

The first liquid to add to your seeds should be water. That starts the enzyme reaction to release the flavour. But the flavour starts to tail off after 10 minutes, so at that point add vinegar, which instantly stops the reaction, fixing the flavour.

Freshly made, your mustard will likely taste horrible. You have to let it mature. Personally I think at least two months. By that time the taste will be transformed. Even six months or more is fine. If you’re making a mustard flavoured with fresh additives such as herbs, mix them in after maturing; otherwise they could go off within the mustard during that long wait.

Roughly grind the mustard seeds, either in a pestle & mortar or a blender with a sharp blade. Aim to have about half the seeds broken, releasing quite a bit of powder.

Tip the ground seeds and powder into a measuring jug. Add 200ml of cold water.

Wait ten minutes.

Then add the 100ml of vinegar.

Stir straight away to mix the water and vinegar thoroughly.

Seeds soaking in the water and vinegar mix

Cover loosely with a paper towel and leave for two or three days.

Fully soaked seeds, ready for blending

Pour off the excess liquid into a bowl or cup and keep to one side.

Tip the grainy mix into your blender and blitz it for a good minute or so.

The mustard coming together in the blender, with excess soaking liquor ready to thin it.

Inspect and if the mix is too thick add a little of the poured off liquid and remix.

Once the consistency is the way you like it (it’ll firm up a little more in the fridge) tip in the herbs and remix.

Spoon into a jar, label and put in the fridge to mature for two months or more before tasting.

The finished product, apart from a couple of months to mature

Ready to go in the fridge to mature

The end product will have the taste and aroma of a lovely French mustard, so less fiery than English. Vary it with any herbs you like, dried herbs work very well, or stir in some honey. Keep it in the fridge and enjoy!

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